Why Temples?

There has been a lot of talk about the LDS practice of baptisms by proxy in the last couple of weeks due to the submission of the names of Jewish Holocaust victims.

It is important to note that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has prohibited the submission of the names of Holocaust victims unless by direct descendants. This has been church policy for nearly twenty years.

But, the question remains: why do we do baptisms for the dead?

I guess it's easier to talk about it in the negative. First, it's not about having a bunch of names on a list. Baptism is only in part about joining the church. Mostly, it is the first in a series of ordinances that we believe lead us to eternal life, through Christ's Atonement.

Nor is it about forcing people into something. We believe that when we perform ordinances by proxy for our deceased ancestors, they have a choice as to whether they will accept them or not. As one of our hymns states, "God will force no man to heaven." If He won't, who are we to?

What it IS about is providing our ancestors with the opportunity to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and accept ordinances that will put them on the path to eternal life. That's it.

There is Biblical precedent for the practice. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is teaching the people at Corinth about resurrection. In defense of the doctrine, he states: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" Clearly, the people at Corinth were familiar with the practice, as there is no further explanation. If it was a false practice, why did Paul not condemn it? And why would he have used it to teach a gospel principle as foundational as Resurrection?

So, this New Testament era practice has been restored through modern revelation. Having participated in proxy ordinances in the temple, I have felt the joy and peace of the place and of the ordinances themselves.


Here is a short video discussing the temple: